2027 Graduate - Junior AI Platform Engineer

If you are graduating with a degree in Computer Science or a related field and want to work in Artificial Intelligence platfom enablement, we'd love to have you join our team!

We are seeking a Junior AI Platform Engineer to join our platform engineering team that builds and operates the enterprise AI platforms and services powering advanced research at APL. Using cloud-native technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm, the team deploys, monitors, and continually improves the scalable infrastructure our researchers rely on.

This is an early-career role built for growth. You'll work alongside senior engineers who provide technical direction, mentorship, and hands-on guidance as you learn modern AI, DevOps, and MLOps practices. From the start you'll gain practical experience building, deploying, operating, and troubleshooting scalable AI infrastructure and services. As your skills develop, you will progressively take greater ownership of platform engineering responsibilities.

As a Junior AI Platform Engineer, you will:

• Deploy, operate, and administer enterprise AI platforms and services using technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm.
• Develop, enhance, and maintain software and infrastructure that improves platform operations, monitoring, and reliability.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure, application, and user issues.
• Analyze AI platform reliability and performance: conduct benchmarks, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements.
• Participate in design discussions, code reviews, documentation, testing, and other team engineering activities.
• Assist in identifying and evaluating emerging AI technologies and assessing their suitability for lab use.
• Learn and apply platform engineering, DevOps, MLOps, and administration automation practices.
• Share knowledge and contribute to a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning and improvement.
• Engage in mentorship and technical guidance from senior team members while progressively taking ownership of platform engineering responsibilities.

You’ll meet our minimum qualifications if you…

• Have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Are familiar with Linux environments and basic system administration concepts.
• Are familiar with container technologies (such as Docker) and container orchestration technologies (such as Kubernetes).
• Are familiar with CI/CD and other DevOps concepts.
• Have experience with Python or a similar programming language.
• Have an understanding of AI/ML concepts and an interest in foundation models and Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Are familiar with LLM application patterns including RAG, tool/function-calling, MCP, and agentic workflows.
• Are familiar with agentic harnesses such as Codex, Claude Code, or OpenCode.
• Demonstrate the ability to investigate and troubleshoot technical problems using documentation, research, logs, and guidance from more experienced engineers.
• Are comfortable learning and adopting new technologies.
• Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Secret level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Have demonstrated experience managing applications deployed to Kubernetes, especially using Helm.
• Have demonstrated experience developing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and other DevOps artifacts.
• Have experience with at least one cloud computing platform (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Have experience securing cloud-native applications.
• Are proficient with LLM application patterns.
• Are proficient with agentic harnesses.
• Have hands-on experience with MLOps and Agile processes.

Special Working Conditions:

• Occasional weekend and other after-hours work may be required to handle and/or complete critical work to meet APL's business needs.

Why Work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accessibility@jhuapl.edu.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.